Cobblers stage late comeback to claim superb away point at Barnsley

The game looked dead and buried when Barnsley led 2-0 with only 18 minutes to play but Town had caused problems all afternoon and they fought back brilliantly with two players scoring their first goals for the club to salvage an excellent point.

Cobblers were really good for 25 minutes but they needed to be tidier and more composed in the final third as several opportunities came and went before Max Watters steered Barnsley into the lead.

Adam Phillips made it 2-0 barely 20 seconds after the restart and Barnsley appeared to be coasting towards three points, only to be stung late on. Liam McCarron came off the bench and levelled with a fine run and finish before fellow substitute Jack Baldwin atoned for an earlier error when bravely heading in the leveller.

Jon Brady’s men had to withstand some late pressure but they held on for their first away point of the season, one which will definitely go down as a point gained given the opposition and the circumstances.

Samy Chouchane came straight in for his Cobblers debut and Tariqe Fosu also started for the first time in the league as Ben Fox, who was injured, and Matt Dibley-Dias both dropped out of the squad.

Cobblers were quicker to settle at Oakwell as Chouchane in particular started well, his precise pass so nearly sending Sam Hoskins through on goal before he delivered a pinpoint corner that Luke Mbete glanced narrowly wide.

Barnsley responded and their long balls brought some success as Conor Hourihane forced Lee Burge into action, but Town committed numbers forward in attack and carried a real threat, going close again when Mbete’s drilled cross so nearly forced Georgie Gent to slice the ball into his own net.

However, Barnsley’s direct approach paid dividends with the opening goal on 26 minutes. Adam Phillips looked close to being offside but no flag was forthcoming as he brought down a long ball before combining with Sam Cosgrove to set up Watters for a relatively simple finish.

The visitors then lost Jordan Willis to injury and Barnsley began to turn the screw, although Town did have another chance on the break when Callum Morton’s flicked header found Fosu and he picked out Pinnock but the midfielder shanked his shot wide.

Barnsley had more territory but Cobblers prevented further damage before half-time and opportunities continued to come at the other end, with Hoskins whizzing a half volley not far over the angle of post and bar.

Town would have felt right in the game at half-time but they made the worst possible start to the second half and it was all their own doing. Baldwin’s miscued clearance just 20 seconds after the restart was charged down and he compounded his error by diving in, allowing Phillips to skip through on goal and slam past Burge.

Barnsley sensed blood and a header from Watters slipped through Burge’s hands and hit the crossbar before Cosgrove arrived late at the back post and appeared to chest the ball into the side-netting.

Northampton had not gone away though as Morton’s snapshot was well blocked before the visitors halved the deficit with 18 minutes to play. Morton did well to release McCarron and he drove at the Barnsley defence before fizzing a low shot in off the far post via a slight deflection.

Suddenly the game took on a very different complexion and within six minutes of getting back in it, Town were all square. Home goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina came to clear Pinnock’s deep free-kick but got nowhere near it and Baldwin was up well to bravely head into the unguarded net.

That left 12 minutes plus stoppage-time to find a winner and Cobblers had the momentum and they did initially look more likely with a couple of dangerous free-kicks, but it was Barnsley who applied late pressure.

They launched the ball forward time and again but the visitors did not buckle as they defended excellently to see out five minutes of stoppage-time and record a well-deserved point.

Barnsley: Slonina, Cotter (Marsh 88), Roberts, Del Gevigney, Earl, Gent (Pines 45) , Connell ©, Phillips, Hourihane (Russell 56), Cosgrove, Watters (Lofthouse 67)

Subs not used: Killip, O’Keeffe, Yoganathan

Cobblers: Burge, McGowan, Willis (Baldwin 33), Guthrie, Mbete, Chouchane (Hondermarck 70), McGeehan, Pinnock, Hoskins, Fosu (McCarron 66), Morton

Subs not used: Tzanev, Koiki, Odimayo, Wilson

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Attendance: 11,245

Cobblers fans: 528